Android Q public beta now available for Pixel phones

There are still a lot of phones waiting on an update to Android Pie, but that's not stopping Google from rolling out the latest and greatest. As of March 13, 2019, you can now sign up for the Android Q public beta on your Pixel phone!

While there are some user-facing changes with Android Q compared to Pie, this latest Android version is primarily focused on smaller backend tweaks and upgrades to make your phone, faster, safer, and more reliable.

One of the features we're most excited for is improved control over apps that use your location. When an app wants to access your location, you can choose to deny it, allow all the time, or allow only when the app's being used. Permissions as a whole have also been updated with greater control, including things like shared files, photos, etc.

Android Q aims to improve the sharing process on Android (something that's been in dire need of fixing) by allowing the share menu UI to appear instantly when invoked. Additionally, a new Settings Panel function can be brought up to show certain settings that may be needed by a specific app (e.g., the Settings Pannel for Chrome could show settings for Wi-Fi, mobile data, and airplane mode).

Also included with Android Q is improved Wi-Fi performance, better support for foldable smartphones, streamlined biometric authentication, and more.

If you're interested in using Android Q, you can sign up for the beta right now on the Android Beta Program website for the Pixel, Pixel 2, and Pixel 3 series. After signing up, you'll receive an over-the-air update to download and install Q.